Post Fermentation Cleaning

[caffeine]

I've brewed 3 beers so far with my Brew Demon and have some questions.

1. I haven't been using any kind of soap / detergent in the Brew Demon fermenter. I've just hosed the inside and wiped it down with a clean (soft, non-abrasive) sponge. But SHOULD I be using soap? I'm afraid of imparting a soapy flavor to the plastic.

2. The lid of a Brew Demon fermenter has a waxed paper circle in the inside of the lid. I haven't changed it yet. I pluck it out and wash the waxed paper circle as well as the inside of the cap. How often should I be changing the waxed paper circle? Every batch?

3. I assume the hose gets changed when it starts to look cloudy / dirty? Same with the airlock and bottling wand?

4. Same question as #1, but with the plastic PET bottles. I'm totally OK with using soap on glass bottles, but I'm scared of soap imparting a flavor to the PET plastic bottles. Should I be?

5. When should I replace the fermenter's spigot? I assume that needs to get replaced at some point too.

6. Lastly, I was wondering why use the bottling wand at all? Why not just fill the bottles directly from the fermenter's spigot (as long as I sanitize it before bottling).

[mashani]

1) I would not use soap. Getting some Oxyclean Free (make sure its the "free" kind) will work with an overnight soak if you get crud in there that doesn't want to come off. Rinse it out well when done, I suggest at least 3 good rinses. I would suggests you do not try to "rub off" stuff that seems stuck, and use the Oxyclean and rinse, because this will not scratch your plastic where trying to rub off stuff can.

There is something called PBW which is even better but it costs more and normally the oxyclean free will work.

2) The paper circle in the lid only matters if you are trying to use an actual airlock and need the lid to fully seal. If you are using the plug vs. an actual airlock, I would just rip that thing out and toss it and just use the lid, I ran that way for years. It will vent out the lid and the plug both then, but that's ok. Even with an airlock it's "ok" it's just that the airlock won't bubble much, which bothers people. But there is nothing wrong with it venting out the lid instead if you are only keeping it in the fermenter for 2-3 weeks. I use free venting fermenters still. Airlocks are overrated except for long duration storage situations.

3) Yes, but oxyclean free soak can fix those things too so it isn't needed very often (like years).

4) Again Oxyclean free is your answer. I use it in mine (I use 740ml PETs) between every batch.

5) The spigot should be taken apart and cleaned regularly. You can soak it taken apart in the oxyclean free as well. It should come apart somewhat easily. If kept clean they will last for a year or more. If the rubber bits start to discolored, damaged looking, or not seal well then it's time to replace them.

6) Bottling wand cuts down on oxidation of the beer in the bottles. The wand is filling from under the beer (most of the time) and not introducing more oxygen then the initial squirt up front. If you just pour it in you are adding oxygen the entire time you are filling your bottle. This will affect shelf life, your beer will darken in the bottle faster, it will change flavor faster, if left too long will start to taste like cardboard or stale or not good.

If you drink it all quickly you might not notice, but if you let it age for a while you will.

[Kealia]

6) Bottling wand cuts down on oxidation of the beer in the bottles. The wand is filling from under the beer (most of the time) and not introducing more oxygen then the initial squirt up front. If you just pour it in you are adding oxygen the entire time you are filling your bottle. This will affect shelf life, your beer will darken in the bottle faster, it will change flavor faster, if left too long will start to taste like cardboard or stale or not good.

I just want to emphasize this point. Don't bottle directly from the spigot without the bottling wand. You could try one bottle that way, set it aside and test it later to see why.
As he pointed out, you may not notice if you drink everything pretty quickly, but if kept for any period of time you won't like the results.

[caffeine]

6) Bottling wand cuts down on oxidation of the beer in the bottles. The wand is filling from under the beer (most of the time) and not introducing more oxygen then the initial squirt up front. If you just pour it in you are adding oxygen the entire time you are filling your bottle. This will affect shelf life, your beer will darken in the bottle faster, it will change flavor faster, if left too long will start to taste like cardboard or stale or not good.

I just want to emphasize this point. Don't bottle directly from the spigot without the bottling wand. You could try one bottle that way, set it aside and test it later to see why.
As he pointed out, you may not notice if you drink everything pretty quickly, but if kept for any period of time you won't like the results.

Crap. I did my hard apple cider this way a couple of days ago.

I'll know better next time. Thank you!

[mashani]

I would suggest that as soon as you think the cider tastes ok, to throw it in the fridge, that will slow down the oxidation issues.

[HerbMeowing]

I've brewed 3 beers so far with my Brew Demon and have some questions.

1. I haven't been using any kind of soap / detergent in the Brew Demon fermenter. I've just hosed the inside and wiped it down with a clean (soft, non-abrasive) sponge. But SHOULD I be using soap? I'm afraid of imparting a soapy flavor to the plastic.

When bottling is done ... I rinse my LBK well ... fill it with water ... and let soak overnight to loosen the dried krausen. Next day ... I wash it using a clear dish detergent liquid to avoid imparting any scent or flavor. Finally ... I refill the LBK and then add one shot of white vinegar and one shot of bleach to ensure it's clean and sanitary.

3. I assume the hose gets changed when it starts to look cloudy / dirty? Same with the airlock and bottling wand?

No need to change these items b/c they're cloudy; however ... it's worth having backups for these essential low-cost items b/c sometimes they'll go four-paws-up when you least expect it but really need it. As for the hose ... get a nylon line cleaning brush ($5) to gently scrub its inside with the same soapy water used to clean the fermentor. https://www.austinhomebrew.com/Nylon-Ho ... ml[quote]4. Same question as #1, but with the plastic PET bottles. I'm totally OK with using soap on glass bottles, but I'm scared of soap imparting a flavor to the PET plastic bottles. Should I be?[/quote]Use the same dish soap as #1. I clean the inside of my PETs with a cotton handkerchief and a wooden skewer. Put a few inches of soapy water in the bottle ... feed the handkerchief into the bottle with the skewer ... twirl it around the skewer ... and then swab and swish away.

5. When should I replace the fermenter's spigot? I assume that needs to get replaced at some point too.

I've been using the same spigot for hundreds of batches since 2006. Disassemble and clean with soapy water after each use. PRO TIP: don't over-tighten on re-assembly!

6. Lastly, I was wondering why use the bottling wand at all? Why not just fill the bottles directly from the fermenter's spigot (as long as I sanitize it before bottling).

You can fill bottles from a spigot although but it's easier by far with a spring-loaded wand. I use a pipe cleaning to clean the wand's inside.